As I've been repeatedly informed by the new official NCAA Footbal blog, Every Game Counts, today is College Colors Day. And here you didn't even get anything for the missus.
As you no doubt remember from the rose-colored memories of the College Colors Days of your youth, it's a day which, and I quote:
"...celebrates the traditions and spirit of the collegiate experience by encouraging employees and students to wear their college team's colors. NCAA Football is proud to support College Colors Day and encourages everyone to participate!"
It also somehow involves Kenny Chesney. Perhaps he's the punishment for failing to display enough flair college spirit.
Coincidentally enough, the holiday comes on the heels of a Collegiate Licensing Company press release stating that Texas has knocked UNC off the perch of Most Royalty Generating Institution. Two thoughts on this:
- North Carolina's licensing ubiquity has always struck me with a mixture of pride and bewilderment. I've walked into the local Sportsmart in Goleta, California and seen more UNC hats for sale than any school but UCLA and Southern Cal - and this was in 2002, one of the darker years of Tar Heel athletics. The downside to this is being 3,000 miles from home and trying to strike up conversations with people wearing Carolina gear. After getting five or six blank looks, you realize most of the people in the gear not only didn't go to Chapel Hill, but often don't even realize their clothing refers to a school. A buddy of mine from Cal Poly picked up an interlocking NC hat (in red, of all colors) simply because he liked the logo. It's a bit alienating.
- To the new licensing champions Texas: Congratulations. But a word of advice, based on something I saw on the back of a car driving down the 101. You're probably aware that your logo has, shall we say, gynecological aspects to it. Now there's no shame in this, and I'm sure you get a lot of grief about this from your Aggies and Red Raiders and other cohorts in the Lone Star State, so I don't want to pile on. But if I may make a suggestion? You might not want to sell a version of your logo that's, well:
Pink. And sparkly. I'm just saying.